Find the Numbers
Research Like a Professor · Guide 7 of 9
How many people live here, what they earn, where they work: the answers are public, free, and usually more surprising than the guesses people trade. This guide shows where county numbers live and how to read one before you repeat it.
Where public numbers live
| Question | Source | Where |
|---|---|---|
| How many people, of what ages, in what households? | U.S. Census Bureau: the census every ten years, plus the yearly American Community Survey | data.census.gov |
| What do people earn, and where does the money come from? | Bureau of Economic Analysis county income tables | bea.gov |
| How many people are working or looking for work? | Bureau of Labor Statistics local unemployment figures | bls.gov |
| How is Kentucky's workforce and education doing? | Kentucky Center for Statistics (KYSTATS) | kystats.ky.gov |
| How healthy is the county, compared to its neighbors? | County Health Rankings | countyhealthrankings.org |
Outside Kentucky, your state likely has its own office like KYSTATS; the federal sources work everywhere.
One tip for a small county: the Census Bureau's yearly survey is too small to measure a small county from one year alone, so it pools five years together. Look for 5-year estimates, and expect each one to come with a margin of error.
Five questions to ask any number
- What exactly does it count? "Income" might mean wages, household income, or all income including Social Security. Different counts give very different numbers.
- When? A figure from 2015 may describe a different county than today's.
- Compared to what? A number alone means little. Compare it to last year, to neighboring counties, or to the state as a whole.
- How sure is it? Estimates come with a margin of error. If two numbers are closer together than their margins, the difference may not be real.
- Who made it, and why? A government statistical agency, a research group and an advocacy campaign can all publish numbers. The first two moves in guide 5 apply here too.
Statistic or talking point?
A statistic answers the five questions above. A talking point is a statistic with the answers removed: no date, no comparison, no source. When you hear a number that's missing its parts, go find them before you repeat it.
Here's a local example of a number that changes the picture once its parts are filled in. Bureau of Economic Analysis figures for 2024 show that Pendleton County residents earned about $264 million more working outside the county than nonresidents earned working inside it. Economists call this the residence adjustment. It describes a bedroom county, where many people live here and work elsewhere.
On its own, "$264 million" is a talking point. With its parts it tells a story: what's counted, which year, compared to what and from which agency. Where people earn and where they spend aren't always the same place, and that matters for everything from local business to the county budget.
Next: Guide 8, Keep Track and Give Credit, on saving sources and citing them well.
Research Like a Professor is a nine-part series. See all nine guides.